Coffee streams into streets of China's 'mountain city'

With the municipal government carrying out urban upgrading by renovating roads along cliffs and enhancing the surrounding environment, an increasing number of coffee shops are mushrooming in old neighborhoods across Chongqing.

International coffee brands are also flocking to the city. In May this year, a Singaporean coffee brand called TAG Espresso set up two outlets in Chongqing, selling about 300 cups of coffee a day.

"Chongqing has a lot of opportunities. It has a population of 30 million, which means a huge consumer market. Moreover, it has a complete logistics system including China-Europe freight trains and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor," said Wang Zheng, founder of TAG Espresso.

Wang added that Chongqing has maintained good trade relations with Singapore under the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, co-launched by China and Singapore, and that the company plans to have a total of 10 outlets in the city by the end of this year.

"There were about 1,600 coffee outlets in the city back in 2016 and the figure neared 4,000 in 2021. These statistics reflect that Chongqing is stepping up the pace of opening up to the outside world, which is attracting more talents to join the city's fledging industry," said Tan Hua, head of the Coffee Roasting Chamber of Commerce in Yuzhong District.

Furthermore, the expansion of coffee shops has also brought relevant businesses to the city, such as coffee roasting factories, training institutes, and trade and exhibition firms. Two baristas from Chongqing even represented China at the World Latte Art Championship.

"Just like the hotpot which can contain everything, Chongqing welcomes all kinds of opportunities. Whether it is for local manufacturing or some emerging industries, the city is a fertile ground for investment," Tan said.